Grosey's Messages

1 Corinthians 16:1-11  Doing Church Life

1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

 10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

In light of the glorious truth of the resurrection of the dead at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58  Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The Christian faith is deeply spiritual but supremely practical. Why? Because believers belong to two different worlds, they are citizens of two competing kingdoms. We are citizens of heaven. However, we also live in the here and now, bound to live in the present world. Our head is in heaven while our feet are firmly planted here, so to speak. Given our dual citizenship, we should not be surprised when the Bible speaks to both spheres of our life in extended detail. A significant part of the details about which the Bible addresses is our material possessions, our money, our wealth. Scripture is never embarrassed to admonish the believer concerning his or her finances. Neither should we be hesitant. As Paul ends his words to the Corinthian believers in his first letter, he addresses the practical side of the faith beginning with how the church is to handle money!

Give Generously.  Give Hospitality. Give Evangelistically. Give Pastorally.

Give Generously

Paul begins the chapter by referring to the collection. He writes, 1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

(1 Cor. 16:1-4). Basically, Paul lists a twofold purpose for the collection.

Here in the first part of I Corinthians 16 is one way we are to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord … through the giving of our money. I want you to understand that one of the great evidences of God's work in your life is your giving.

Note: I'm glad to be able to address this in the matter of preaching through a portion of God's

Word. It's not a special message to "raise money." It's to teach you how to give yourself fully to the work of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 16:1 Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.

v.1 – "Now about the collection…" – I have said before that these words "now about…" are found at important places in the letter to the church at Corinth, and they indicate another topic that Paul was asked to address when some leaders of the church either came to Paul or wrote to Paul with questions and concerns about their church. They had heard about the offering and had some questions about it. And so it was then, as it is now, Christians have questions about this matter of "collections" or "offerings." And here we have some key issues about taking offerings in church, and how Christians should respond.

The Purpose of the Collection

First, the collection is to be taken for the benefit of the saints. He makes the need precisely known, telling the people where the collection is to be used. When people know, people will give. God will see to it. Paul reminds the Corinthians concerning the plight of the Jerusalem church, including their poverty and persecution (cp. Acts 11:27-29). Paul envisioned the Gentile church assisting the Jewish church as being instrumental in healing ethnic barriers.

v.1 – "Now about the collection for God's people…"

This particular "collection" is mentioned in other parts of the NT. News had spread that the believers in Jerusalem were in dire straits due to persecution and famine conditions. Paul was circulating around present day Turkey and Greece on a missionary journey and God put it on his heart to take a collection in the churches he established and visited. And the idea was for him to take that offering with him when he went to Jerusalem to present to the church there to help them out. This specific offering was for a very clear purpose. The Greek word for collection means, "an extra collection." And it was not the only collection that was received. We know from elsewhere in the NT that offerings in the early church were received for various reasons, one of which was to provide for the needs of pastors in the local churches. So church members gave for the purpose of supporting the work of the local church.

This was an offering taken for "God's people" … literally "the saints." These are God's people … brothers and sisters in Jerusalem were in great need. If you stop to think about it, this was a kind of missions offering. They were giving for the needs of others outside of their own circumstances. These were Gentiles living in present day Greece who were asked to dip into their resources and help some other people, whom they had never met and would probably never know … the Jews living in Jerusalem. Note: I can just imagine that there in Jerusalem there was a widow, or a young dad, or a group of believers who got together and prayed for God to provide for their needs in the midst of difficult circumstances … persecution, famine, etc. And hundreds of miles away God was working in the hearts of some other believers to give. It was a test for their faith as well … deciding how much to give … for some whether or not to give. But God was moving to meet the need hundreds of miles away. So God deposits resources in our lives that He intends to use to provide for the needs of others. And how we respond to these kinds of situations is evidence of the degree to which God is at work in our lives.

1 John 3:17 (NIV) - If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

Even so, from Paul's standpoint, while the collection was to be taken for the benefit of others,

the collection also became a blessing to the Corinthians themselves. A church is not a cistern for saving bounty, but a channel for sharing blessings. Hence, Paul speaks about the "liberality" of the collection. The term "liberality" basically means a "grace gift," a gift "freely given." The church must develop an atmosphere where grace-giving is supreme. Indeed, a church which focuses on "required" giving— that is, giving merely out of duty instead of grace—subtly develops a resistance to joyful, Biblical giving which inevitably is described as "liberality." Gifts given in this spirit always bring blessings back to the giver.

Now that Paul has dealt with the purpose of the collection

The Procedure of the Collection.

Interestingly, Paul never offers an apology for speaking about the collection nor does the church appear to offer an apology for taking the collection. On the contrary, Paul gives specific procedures on taking the collection.

Collections are to be punctual;

That is, collections take place on "the first day of the week." What does the Bible mean when it refers to the "first day"? Clearly, when Scripture speaks of the "first day," it refers to our Sunday (cp. John 20:19; Acts 20:7; Rev. 1:10).

v.2 - "On the first day of every week…"

You see, the habit was to assemble on the first day of the week. Why the first day of the week?

Later it would come to be called the Lord's Day because the Lord was raised from the dead on Sunday. So the church moved from the Jewish practice of observing the Sabbath on Saturday, to observing the Lord's Day on Sunday.

And what they did on that day, among other things was to gather. In fact, the word "churches" in v.1 is the word ecclesia … the gathering.

Notice the habit was to gather on the first day of every week. Literally "on every first day of the week." Is that the pattern in your week for your family? That's God's desire and design.

The gatherings of God's people on the Lord's Day involved ministries of various kinds. We've talked about how they conducted themselves in worship. There was singing and teaching and ministry and prayer. They shared a fellowship meal together. And they passed the plate! Giving was part of their gathering.

Note: This is an embarrassment to many who say that churches should not make a big deal about collections or offerings because it offends non-believers whom the church is trying to reach. My response to that is that our giving is part of our witness. I think it is a powerful testimony to others when they see us taking something as important as our financial resources and giving it to a particular cause. This must be something big if people are making sacrifices for it.

Why were they told to bring their offerings for the saints on the first day of every week? We can assume that that was when the other offerings, for example for the ongoing support of the church's ministries, were given. Giving should be a regular, weekly practice on Sunday when the church meets together.

The Jews met on the Sabbath (Saturday) to commemorate creation; Christians meet on Sunday to commemorate the resurrection. Every Sunday is Easter Sunday!

Collections are to be personal. Paul says, "let every one of you lay by him in store." In other words, the collection is for all God's people, not just some. Collections are for rich and poor alike. Consequences of not giving include barrenness in one's heart and emptiness in one's satisfaction with life.

Giving is also to be proportional. The gauge Paul gives us to measure our giving is simple, "as God has prospered him." Leaving the amount to our own discretion, we determine a thoughtful consideration of what God has done for us. We count our blessings; then we count out our contribution. If God has blessed us physically, materially, and spiritually, we must consider whether or not we can ever give too much!

The income of some would permit them to give a greater proportion, while others, due to their few resources and other constraints on them, would be limited to lesser contributions. What was important was that giving be a unified ministry with each one participating, regardless of his income. This was the principle behind the tithe (a percentage gift based upon one's income or resources). Now obviously there is no mention of the tithe here. This is a special offering. But there is clearly here a reference to proportional giving, which is what a "tithe" implies. Some are quick to point out that the only mention of the tithe in the NT is in reference to OT law or to pharisaical religion in the day of Jesus. And they point to that fact to say that there is no command for NT Christians to tithe. No, but there are repeated references to proportional giving. And on top of that, when it comes to pharisaical religion, Jesus teaches that as disciples of His, our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. So the bar is not lowered, it is raised.

Collections are to be practical. Paul desired "no gatherings when I come." The Corinthians were to consider what God gave them and respond appropriately. The principle works the same with us.

When you give your tithes and offerings, do you ever anticipate the blessings your contributions will be to others? How? Do you feel guilty anticipating your offerings to bring blessing to you? Why or why not?

Collections are to be  Perfect and Transparent

1 Corinthians 16:3-4 (NIV) - Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

Paul wanted a representative from the Christians in Corinth to deliver the gift to Jerusalem. And, the Corinthian Christians could choose their own representative. Paul did this to be above reproach in all financial matters. He spoke of this in …

2 Corinthians 8:20-21 (NIV) - We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.

So there you have in straightforward terms why we take offerings, and how we take offerings, and who is responsible for the safekeeping and distribution of offerings in the church.

For some of you, this message will reinforce a discipline that is already in place in your life. But it's good for you to be encouraged that this practice of giving generously and regularly to God's work is really the right thing to do. I want you to be comforted.

For others of you, this is already making you nervous. I understand. Maybe you know that this is something you need to build into your life, but you haven't done it yet for whatever reason … but your heart is open to it. I want you to be challenged.

For others, this topic makes you a little angry. "What's mine is mine, and I don't intend to give my hard earned money to any church." And my prayer for you today is that God's Word in the hands of God's Spirit will soften your heart, not to give your money to the Lord, but first to give your life to the Lord. The rest will take care of itself. I want you to be convicted

Give Hospitality

5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.

Homes

Transport

Time

Trust

All these plans were in Paul's mind … and that is the mark of one who is committed to the work of the Lord. He has a vision of what he hopes to be able to do for God and for others in the future. But those personal plans have to be kept in a tension with God's purpose. And the fact that Paul knows this is revealed in the last four words of v.7.

Give Evangelistically

8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

There's nothing haphazard about Paul's life. He has goals and plans he actively pursues. Included in his plans was a trip to Corinth. One thing he was sure about: he would remain in Ephesus for an indefinite time. Why?

Paul anticipated opportunity to preach the Gospel.

Ephesus was the center of pagan idolatry. Ephesus was knee-deep in sophisticated sin, being the great metropolitan center of that part of the world. Indeed, Paul always tried to stab the Gospel flag into the heart of population centers.

It is God who sovereignly opens the doors; it is Paul's passion and obedience that drives him to take advantage of these opened doors wherever, whenever and while ever he can.  However, the memory of his own hostility to the gospel before he met the Risen Lord on the road to Damascus, together with his experiences in all his missionary work to this point, left him in no doubt that there would be 'many who oppose me'.  Sometimes we fail to go through the doors of opportunity God opens before us because we don't want to offend people or fear rejection and opposition. 

Paul anticipated opposition toward preaching the Gospel.

Literally, "There are many who are against me." Paul's calling was not to comfort or to convenience. If it was, he would not remain in Ephesus. Now would you write Acts 19 in the margin of your Bible and notes here? I won't take us there this morning, but you can read there about the opportunity and the opposition in Ephesus. Ephesus was one of the great cities of the world in its day. There was a great temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis. Much of the activity of the city revolved around this paganistic worship. Religiously sanctioned sexual perversion was the way of life in Ephesus. But Paul came there preaching the Gospel and perform many miracles, and people got saved.

And these new believers began to renounce their paganistic ways. Some who practiced sorcery brought all their paraphernalia and burned them publicly. A great spiritual awakening was occurring across the city. Well some of the people who profited from the organized paganism in the city began to worry. If the worship of Artemis goes away, then so will our lucrative sales of all the little trinkets and shrines that people buy to use in their worship. This threw the entire city into chaos and Paul was right in the middle of it. He nearly lost his life.

Opportunity and opposition go hand in hand. Notice the wording carefully:

1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (NIV) - But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a

great door for effective work has opened to me, and (not "but," but "and") there are many who oppose me.

This is how life will go for us as the people of God. Our opportunities to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord will be mixed with opposition.

1 Pet 5:8 - Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

2 Thessalonians 3:3  But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

The point here is that there is no ideal, perfect place to live or to serve God. There's no ideal job, no ideal marriage, no ideal church. It all happens in a tension between opportunity and opposition.

Never imagine preaching the Gospel will be without opposition. Nothing the church does is more opposed by Satan than spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All the powers of hell are lined up against it. Wherever God opens a door of opportunity, Satan raises the flag of opposition. Churches that commit to touching a city for Christ, changing it for the Lord Jesus Christ, will face massive opposition from the enemy.

Thus, we must prepare for being too easily discouraged when we are opposed. Enemies too often are the reasons we cite to leave the battlefield. For Paul, enemies of the Gospel became an occasion for him to stay and fight! (cp. Phil. 1:28).

The principle of anticipation should be practiced by every believer. We anticipate God's presence, His power, and His full pleasure when we stand in the face of the enemy and spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

In our giving, the first cause must be to those who preach the same gospel as we do. To give elsewhere without this priority is to be a traitor to the gospel.

Give Pastorally

10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

For Paul, though unknown saints existed, insignificant saints did not. Paul lists people who were virtually unknown either in the ancient world or ours. Nevertheless, he knew they were essential to God's Kingdom work.

Plain people are God's preferred servants. We need no special skills to be anointed by God. Instead we need only surrendered hearts. Walking the streets of Corinth were average people living for the Lord Jesus, walking in the Holy Spirit.

As examples, Paul mentions, first, the youthfulness of Timothy (vv. 10-11).

While Timothy may have been timid, frail, and suffering from a stomach disorder, he nonetheless served the Lord Jesus faithfully (cp. 15:58). Later Paul exhorted no one to despise Timothy's youth (1 Tim. 4:12). Instead they were to honour his faith.

Giving should be compassionate towards the Lord's servants however they look to us.

There is a tendency to despise God's workers.  Pride. "We will keep him humble with abuse and under pay."  I must say I have been so discouraged that I often think of walking away.

1 Corinthians is indicative of the church of Jesus Christ today. We face division, doctrinal heresies, and moral decay. The culture we inhabit only accentuates the problems the church faces. However, Jesus Christ offers hope, help, power, and deliverance. As Lord of the church, if we look exclusively to Him, our difficulties will vanish and our deliverance will be sure. May our Lord work His miraculous grace in and through His church today.

31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." 38 And he cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41  "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me recover my sight." 42 And Jesus said to him, "Recover your sight; your faith has made you well." 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

There is a contrast between the disciples and the blind man.

This blind man could see. The disciples didn't see it.

Jesus said to the man, "Your faith has made you well." KJV "thy faith hath saved thee."  ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε.  Gill "or has obtained salvation for thee, a temporal salvation; and it may be also a spiritual and an eternal one."

The day had begun like any other day for the blind man. Waking up, he shook the straw from his shabby, torn garments, stretched, got to his feet, and began tapping his way along the familiar turns leading to the main gate of Jericho. Perhaps he was able to beg a crust of bread or two at some familiar stops along the way. Arriving at the gate he took his regular place with the other beggars, where he drew his greasy cloak tightly around him because, though it was spring, the sun had not yet dispelled the morning chill. As he sat there, just like so many days before, he listened to the city come to life—first a donkey loaded with melons for market, after that several women chatting as they bore pitchers toward the well, then the clomp of camels' hooves. Soon Jericho abounded with the sounds of life, and the blind man was intoning his beggar's cry. Suddenly the blind man tensed and lifted his head, for his blind-sensitive ears heard the hubbub of a great crowd approaching. First came young boys running ahead with shrill cries, then more people hurrying past the gate talking excitedly. The blind man, brushed by a robe, reached out and asked what was happening. The passersby, pulling away, called back, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by" (v. 37).

Messianic speculation was high among the Jews in the first century. Perhaps the blind man had heard that Jesus called himself "the Son of Man," that he had the right blood line, that he was from the tribe of Judah.  "And he cried out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'" (vv. 38, 39).

The blind man voiced penetrating insight as to who Jesus is as he kept repeating, much to everyone's distress, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" That title was not geographical but theological—a blatant messianic assertion! It is, in fact, the only occurrence of this title in Luke's Gospel. It is derived immediately from the book of Daniel. There is a vision of the Son of Man.  The vision concludes with these words: "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13, 14) God, the Ancient of Days, gives to another divine being, "one like a son of man," glory, sovereignty, worship, and everlasting dominion—an eternal kingdom. Jesus, when he came to full messianic consciousness, said in effect, "I am the Son of Man. I am the eternal, sovereign King!" Jesus himself is responsible for the high Christology of the New Testament, first using the term "Son of Man" for himself at the healing of the paralytic in Capernaum: "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home" (Mark 2:10, 11). He thus indicated that he was "consciously and creatively investing the title with deep Christological meaning, tantamount to sharing the prerogative of God." Jesus claimed to be the transcendent being of Daniel's vision and used "Son of Man" as a substitute for the personal pronoun "I" again and again. He especially used the term when he spoke of himself to his disciples. They heard the term many times.  He could not have been more explicit about his being "the Son of Man."

The pious Jew devoted lines in his daily prayers for the coming of a Messiah from David's race. In the Fourteenth Benediction of the Prayer of Eighteen Benedictions, according to the Palestinian Record, God is asked to have mercy "on the kingdom of the house of David, of the Messiah of thy righteousness." The Habhinenu Prayer, which briefly summed up the most important prayer concerns, made prayers for "the sprouting forth of a horn of David, thy servant." The first-century book The Psalms of Solomon (not to be confused with the Biblical Song of Songs) contains an extended messianic hymn describing the coming reign of the King, the anointed son of David. This blind man believed Jesus was the Messiah, and he was shouting it.

Better yet, as we have seen in our studies in the Psalms and in Hebrews, the Messianic designation of Jesus as Son of David, had everything to do with what the disciples had missed in the statement Jesus made to them just a little earlier.

Nor could He be more clear about his impending suffering, death, and resurrection. But even so, the disciples just did not get it! Luke emphasizes this three times in verse 34: "But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said."

They didn't get it until "And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him" (24:31). Today we have the four Gospel accounts, but our understanding still requires the work of the Holy Spirit. If you understand but do not truly understand, if the ideas are taking shape but you are not yet on the inside of the mystery, if you feel like a spiritual interloper, ask Christ to open "the eyes of your heart" (Ephesians 1:18). The story of Christ's healing of the blind man stood in dramatic contrast with the incomprehension of the Twelve. Their spiritual blindness was reproved by the blind sight of a beggar.

In verse 31 Jesus said, "Everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled." There are over 300 prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament. Many of them predict the details of His death. If you aren't convinced the Bible is the supernatural Word of

God, I invite you to consider the following ten Old Testament prophecies about the death of Jesus. Although they were written hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth, He clearly fulfilled each of them.

1. Betrayed by a friend. "Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." Psalm 41:9. Mark 14:10 tells us that one of his disciples, Judas, went to the Jewish authorities to offer to betray Jesus. He led them to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and kissed Him on the cheek.

2. Sold for thirty pieces of silver. "'If you think it best, give me my pay.' so they paid me thirty pieces of silver" Zechariah 11:12. Matthew 26:15 confirms Judas was paid thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus.

3. Silent when accused. "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Isaiah 53:7. Instead of trying to argue for His innocence, Matthew 26:63 tells us Jesus remained silent when He was given a chance to defend Himself.

4. Slapped and spit upon. "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting." Isaiah 50:6. Mark 14:65 confirms the Roman soldiers took a whip and tore open the back of Jesus. They plucked out His beard and their foul spittle desecrated the face of the Messiah. What Isaiah wrote 750 years earlier came true!

5. Hands and feet pierced. "A band of evil men have surrounded me, they have pierced my hands and my feet." Psalm 22:16. When David wrote this Psalm in about 1000 B.C., crucifixion wouldn't be invented as a mode of execution for another 400 years, yet, John 20:27 confirms the sadistic Roman soldiers surrounded Jesus and drove massive nails into His hands and feet.

6. Mocked and insulted. "All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 'He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him!'" Psalm 22:6-8. Matthew 27: 39-40 informs us that the people watching the crucifixion yelled insults at Jesus. They sarcastically demanded that if He was really the Son of God to call on His Father to rescue Him.

7. Soldiers cast lots for his garment. "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." Psalm 22:18. Even this tiny detail was totally fulfilled! According to Mark 15:24, the Roman soldiers divided up His clothes. Because He had a seamless garment, they cast lots to see who would get that prize.

8. Not a bone broken. "He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." Psalm 34:20. It was highly unusual for someone of suffer crucifixion without having some bones broken. In fact, John 19:33 records that the Roman soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves on either side, but when they came to Jesus, He was already dead, so they didn't break His legs. When the Jews killed the Passover Lamb, they had instructions that none of its bones were to be broken. As our Passover Lamb none of Jesus' bones were broken.

9. Buried in a rich man's grave. "He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." Isaiah 53:9. Jesus died between two criminals, but according to Matthew 27:57-60, a wealthy man, Joseph of Arimathea, laid Jesus in his own, new, expensive tomb.

10. His resurrection! "You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay." Psalm 16:10. Jesus died and was buried, but He wasn't abandoned to the grave, and His corpse didn't decay. According to Matthew 28:9, He came out of the grave, and He is alive forevermore!

32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise."

The Lord walks the disciples through each of these prophecies.

But wait, the blind man couldn't have seen these prophecies about Jesus fulfilled..because .. read it again "And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise."

But look here. Verse 34. 

34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

He says three times in three different ways how the disciples didn't get it.  34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

This was the seventh time that the Lord told them what was going to happen and they still didn't get it. Putting the pieces together was an ability that God had not yet granted to the disciples (passive κεκρυμμένον, kekrymmenon, was hidden). They couldn't  comprehend how God's plan works.

And yet the blind man knew Jesus was the Son of David, the Son of Man, the Messiah. How come he got it and had faith while the disciples who had travelled with Jesus and heard Him say these things didn't get it and have faith?

Bock writes:  "The disciples are blind with regard to God's plan, just as the beggar was physically blind. The way out of the dilemma for both is to trust Jesus and his promise.

The blind beggar stands in contrast to the rich young man (Ellis 1974: 219). The rich young man has all and can see, but really is blind. The blind man has nothing and cannot see until he trusts Jesus, and then he has all. The two men could not be more opposite. The reversal of the blind man's situation is an illustration of 18:28–30. Finally, the blind man's appeal is parallel to the tax collector's dependent humility in 18:9–14. Thus, this miracle ties together many themes …. It points to faith's centrality in the removal of spiritual blindness."

Have You Heard The Call Of Jesus?  (37)

FAITH INVOLVES HEARING AND UNDERSTANDING

Here is the contrast between the disciples and the blind man. This blind man could see. The disciples didn't see it.

Packer writes of Faith as response to the Spirit of God's enlightening.

In the New Testament, faith (believing trust, or trustful belief, based on testimony received as from God) is crucially important, for it is the means or instrumental cause of salvation. It is by faith that Christians are justified before God (Rom. 3:26; 4:1-5; Gal. 2:16), live their lives (literally "walk," 2 Cor. 5:7), and sustain their hope (Heb. 10:35-12:3).

Faith cannot be defined in subjective terms, as a confident and optimistic mind-set, or in passive terms, as acquiescent orthodoxy or confidence in God without commitment to God. Faith is an object-oriented response, shaped by that which is trusted, namely God himself, God's promises, and Jesus Christ, all as set forth in the Scriptures. And faith is a whole-souled response, involving mind, heart, will, and affections. Older Reformed theology analyzed faith as notitia ("knowledge," i.e., acquaintance with the content of the gospel), plus assensus ( "agreement," i.e., recognition that the gospel is true), plus fiducia ( "trust and reliance," i.e., personal dependence on the grace of Father, Son, and Spirit for salvation, with thankful cessation of all attempts to save oneself by establishing one's own righteousness: Rom. 4:5; 10:3). Without fiducia there is no faith, but without notitia and assensus there can be no fiducia (Rom. 10:14). God's gift of faith is a fruit of applicatory illumination by the Holy Spirit, and it ordinarily has in it some measure of conscious assurance through the witnessing of the Spirit (Rom. 8:15- 17). John Owen says: "For there is a faith whereby we are justified, which he who has shall be assuredly saved; which purifies the heart and works by love. And there is a faith or believing, which does nothing of all this; which who has, and has no more, is not justified, nor can be saved…. Thus it is said of Simon the magician, that he "believed," Acts viii.13, when he was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity."

Owen views the conviction of sin as a necessary prerequisite to the exercise of saving faith. That conviction consists in the "opening of the eyes of the sinner, to see the filth and guilt of sin in the sentence and curse of the law applied unto his conscience, Rom vii. 9, 10." This results in the sinner being "sensible of his guilt before God," which is a condition that comes about by the act of sovereign grace. This sense of guilt does not merely consist in the assent (assensus) of the mind because believing is an "act of the heart." If it is "assentia alone," then Owen rejects such a faith. Assenting faith must be coupled with a "fiducial trust in the grace of God by Christ declared in the promises."  While many Reformed theologians spoke of justifying faith involving three elements—knowledge (notitia), assent (assensus), and trust (fiducia)—Owen seems to have placed knowledge and assent together in this context. The reason for that is that in this context he particularly focuses on the saving nature of assent since he is combating the Roman Catholic idea that faith is bare assent.

So there are three aspects to saving faith: there must be knowledge.  There must be assent of the mind. There must be the consent of the heart.

It is this third aspect that our Lord Jesus Christ teaches about faith here in this passage.

Faith not only is the knowledge and assent of the mind that 65% of Australians have towards the Lord Jesus Christ.  It also includes the consent of the heart!!

Look at how scripture describes that consent:

Have You Come To Jesus? (40)

The consent of the heart is described as coming to Jesus. (Matt. 11:28). Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matt 11:28  "To come unto Christ for life and salvation, is to believe on him unto the justification of life; but no other grace or duty is a coming unto Christ: and therefore have they no place in justification."

He who comes to Me I will not cast out. John 6:37

The consent of the heart faith is expressed by looking to Jesus  John 3:14–15 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Isaiah 45:21 There is no other God but Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is no one except Me.   22 Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other.  (KJV 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.)  23 By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.   24 It will be said to Me: Righteousness and strength is only in the LORD." All who are enraged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame.   25 All the descendants of Israel will be justified and find glory through the LORD.

Barnes Notes "Thus the direction to look to God for salvation implies a deep conviction of helplessness and of sin; and a deep conviction that he only can save. At the same time it shows the ease of salvation. What is more easy than to look to one for help? What more easy than to cast the eyes toward God the Saviour? What more reasonable than that he should require us to do it? And what more just than that God, if people will not look to him in order that they may be saved, should cast them off forever? Assuredly, if a dying, ruined, and helpless sinner will not do so simple a thing as to look to God for salvation, he ought to be excluded from heaven, and the universe will acquiesce in the decision which consigns him to despair."

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling, Naked come to thee for dress Helpless look to Thee for grace, Foul I to the fountain fly, Wash me Saviour or I die."

Have You Called To Jesus? (39)

It is demonstrated by the blind man in Luke 18 crying out "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 39 But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

The consent of the heart is described as calling on the Lord Jesus. 

Romans 10:13 for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

It is pictured by Peter as he sinks in the sea and calls to the Lord Jesus walking upon the sea "Lord save me!"

It wasn't the loudness of his cry that saved him, but the direction of his prayer saved him; it was directed to the only One who can save: The Lord Jesus Christ.  Don't direct your prayer to Mary or anyone else! Direct it to the Saviour!

The consent of the heart, justifying faith, is expressed as "receiving." To as many as received Him to them that believe on His name, He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

The consent of the heart faith is expressed by "fleeing for refuge" (Heb. 6:18):

For herein it is supposed that he who believeth is antecedently thereunto convinced of his lost condition, and that if he abide therein he must perish eternally; that he hath nothing of himself whereby he may be delivered from it; that he must betake himself unto somewhat else for relief; that unto this end he considers Christ as set before him, and proposed unto him in the promise of the gospel; that he judges this to be a holy, a safe way, for his deliverance and acceptance with God.

Have You Been Cured By Jesus? (42)

The Consent of the heart faith is expressed as "leaning on God…or Christ…resting on God…cleaving unto the Lord…as also by trusting, hoping, and waiting." Those who acted on this type of faith "declare themselves to be lost, hopeless, helpless, desolate, poor, orphans; whereon they place all their hope and expectation on God alone."

FAITH LAYS HOLD ON CHRIST NO MATTER WHAT HINDERS.

In the Old Testament the Lord instructed his people, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

Have You Confessed Your Gratitude To Jesus? (43)

FAITH FOLLOWS THE LORD GLORIFYING THE LORD

The nature of justifying faith, then, consists in the "heart's approbation of the way of justification and salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ proposed in the gospel, as proceeding from the grace, wisdom, and love of God." This includes a renunciation of attaining righteousness and salvation by any other means except through Christ. Because the nature of saving faith is not merely assensus for Owen, he makes an important distinction regarding obedience in relation to faith. Those who are justified must be united to Jesus Christ and be made partakers of the Holy Spirit. Such faith thus enables sinners to be renewed in their minds so they can live in obedience to God. Yet, Owen insists, "Only we say, it is not any other grace, as charity and the like, nor any obedience, that gives life and form unto this faith; but it is this faith that gives life and efficacy unto all other graces, and form unto all evangelical obedience."

WHEN YOU SEE THE FACE OF JESUS, YOU'LL FOLLOW HIM ANYWHERE

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

Have You Heard The Call Of Jesus?  (37)

Have You Come To Jesus? (40)

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling, Naked come to thee for dress Helpless look to Thee for grace, Foul I to the fountain fly, Wash me Saviour or I die."

Have You Called To Jesus? (39)

Have You Been Cured By Jesus? (42)

Have You Confessed Your Gratitude To Jesus? (43)

I know a Saviour, sweet and kind, Was never friend so pleased my mind. I did but see Him passing by, and yet I'll own Him till I die.

His face His features and His smile, His words His ways my heart beguile

Beguile my hear I know not why, And yet I'll love Him till I die.